What do you want in the place of cars?

[Andy in Germany]

I find an Akubra helpful in the rain.

 

[albion]

New rules on the upcoming solar cars to include a tax and insurance free version, via legislation.

 

[matticus]

My own don't but that's because the school has had to ban cycling due to safety (the school is on a private road off a narrow 40mph road). The annoying thing is that there is a perfectly safe route through the private Burwood Park Estate then the private Burhill Estate and golf course This would link Cobham with Walton on safe well maintained roads ideal for children and adults cycling.

In the long-term, this situation only continues because the car-owning locals and parents allow it to.

 

[mjr]

I find an Akubra helpful in the rain.

Bit cruel, if a traditional rabbit fur one.

 

[Andy in Germany]

Bit cruel, if a traditional rabbit fur one.

I don't have that sort of money. I've also got an oilskin hat which is crushable. I was wondering about the cost then realised it's a fraction of a tyre change on a car and will last far longer...

 

[marzjennings]

Slightly off topic, but it must be awesome living somewhere where you can wear a cowboy hat every day.

It's not something I would wear going to work and I don't see any during the working day, but come Rodeo time everyone seems to have dug out their old hat. Now cowboy boots on the other hand, yes I see those everyday at work, not a lot, but someone in the queue for lunch will be wearing their boots. No spurs though! I was disappointed when I moved to Texas not to hear 'howdy' more often, but I will admit to adopting 'y'all' and of course 'all y'all' as part of my daily vernacular.

And back on the OP topic, Texans haven't yet moved to cars as a mode of transportation, so they won't be replacing cars anytime in the next hundred years. It's still trucks and SUV's, and the bigger the better. The smallest car Ford sells in the US is the Mustang, no Focus or Fiesta here.

 

[chris667]

Huh? Just book your advance ticket for the one before. If that gets cancelled, your ticket is automatically opened to any reasonable substitute ( more or less. Check national rail terms for full details. )

That's not always possible. And it's often much more expensive if it is. Have a look at the National Rail Enquiries website and see for yourself how train tickets spike in price before 9:30.

It seems perfectly reasonable to expect the train ticket you book to get you to the place you've chosen at the time you booked.

It also seems a bit obnoxious to berate someone for poor planning when it's actually the train delay that prevented their appointment from happening.

 

[Gillstay]

It's not something I would wear going to work and I don't see any during the working day, but come Rodeo time everyone seems to have dug out their old hat. Now cowboy boots on the other hand, yes I see those everyday at work, not a lot, but someone in the queue for lunch will be wearing their boots. No spurs though! I was disappointed when I moved to Texas not to hear 'howdy' more often, but I will admit to adopting 'y'all' and of course 'all y'all' as part of my daily vernacular.

And back on the OP topic, Texans haven't yet moved to cars as a mode of transportation, so they won't be replacing cars anytime in the next hundred years. It's still trucks and SUV's, and the bigger the better. The smallest car Ford sells in the US is the Mustang, no Focus or Fiesta here.

I find it amazing its still the same as from 1980 when I was there. It was the only state I disliked. Very odd mind set with some people.

 

[Profpointy]

You have a rather rose tinted view of how far children can live from schools. Also Cars are often not allowed in schools. They are allowed past schools. Your ban would be unachievable.

Schools seem to be able to dictate that children can't cycle to school unless the comply with certain conditions (the H word, but that's not per se the point here) and in at least one case banned cycling to school at all. Presumably banning getting a lift to school is similar

 

[Alex321]

Schools seem to be able to dictate that children can't cycle to school unless the comply with certain conditions (the H word, but that's not per se the point here) and in at least one case banned cycling to school at all. Presumably banning getting a lift to school is similar

They have no control over what the kids do once outside the school premises (or off the school bus if those are provided).

They can ban the kids from entering the school grounds by bicycle unless they have a helmet, or at all in the situation described above. But they can't force the kids to wear that helmet all the way to school. Or stop them cycling to 100 yards away and locking their bike to a railing.

And they can ban the cars from bringing the kids INTO the school. But they can't legally do anything about cars parking 100 yards away to drop the kids off.

 

[Drago]

I watched a teacher jump a red light at the pedestrian crossing outside Mini D's school the other day. If that's how the teachers behave then there's little hope for the next generation.

 

[Jameshow]

I watched a teacher jump a red light at the pedestrian crossing outside Mini D's school the other day. If that's how the teachers behave then there's little hope for the next generation.

I overtook a teacher in a traffic jam on my way to school many years ago.... It wasn't the best lunch time that day, but at least it wasn't a cricket club after school!

 

[presta]

And as you've said, you prefer the convenience of the car over other methods.

I gave up driving 19 years ago. Since I gave up cycling as well it's all walk, bus & train.

Living without owning a car would be much easier if car hire companies weren't so awful to deal with. I look enviously at the cities with their car clubs that you book a car with website or app, then just ride to it, open the car with smart card or app, put the folding bike in the boot and drive off.

That's why I put car clubs in my list at the top. They also incentivise lower mileage by shifting the costs from fixed to variable.

 

[mjr]

That's not always possible. And it's often much more expensive if it is. Have a look at the National Rail Enquiries website and see for yourself how train tickets spike in price before 9:30.

It's always possible, but no, not always as cheap. It depends how important being on time is to you. You pays your money and place your bets.

It seems perfectly reasonable to expect the train ticket you book to get you to the place you've chosen at the time you booked.

No more reasonable than expecting any transport to be completely reliable and punctual.

It also seems a bit obnoxious to berate someone for poor planning when it's actually the train delay that prevented their appointment from happening.

Forums have numerous posts berating people for not leaving earlier when their cycle route is unnecessarily roundabout or blocked. Mine didn't even come close to that level of berating. Not having any provision to cope with something as common at the minute as a train delay near Manchester is poor planning.

 

[classic33]

It's always possible, but no, not always as cheap. It depends how important being on time is to you. You pays your money and place your bets.

No more reasonable than expecting any transport to be completely reliable and punctual.


Forums have numerous posts berating people for not leaving earlier when their cycle route is unnecessarily roundabout or blocked. Mine didn't even come close to that level of berating. Not having any provision to cope with something as common at the minute as a train delay near Manchester is poor planning.

Currently they, Northern, appear to be suffering from staff shortages. Meaning that one late train can see others being cancelled. Two hours recently to get from Leeds to Bradford, by train. One disappeared off the boards, the next cancelled, the third running nearly half an hour late. No warning/announcements for any of them. Just stood on platform 12C until the next train headed my way was shown as being from platform 11b.

I allow for one missing, at each stage of the journey. The bus missing puts me one back, which I allow for. Giving a total travel time twice that of the timetabled trip. I'd to travel beyond the interchange, and the ticket is marked as to where you start and end your journey. Not that it'd have made much difference because if I'd got to Bradford Interchange, via Forster Square, the same trains were still missing there.

Edited to add that 06:30 to 10:00 is rush hour on the Calder Valley line, Leeds to Manchester Victoria.